Treatment options if one is infected by someone's been on meds for a long timeSep 14, 2007

Dear Doc - I don't know how to put my question in a more useful manner and I know it's bit pre-mature to ask, but here it goes: I have just been tested positive and I suspect I got it from someone who has been positive and no medication for a long time. Assuming it's the case, or more as a general question, does it mean I am also getting the drug-resistent virus? Does it affect the meds that I am going to take, meaning I only have the same treatment options (or the lack of them) as the person's infected me?

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hello,

To answer your hypothetical question, yes, it is possible to acquire a strain of virus that is resistant to various HIV medications. To answer your specific question, you'll need to get a resistance test (genotype) to ascertain if this happened to you. The resistance tests will help your HIV specialist select which anti-HIV medications would be your best option for controlling your viral replication. Your HIV specialist should discuss all this with you in great detail. You can also read about various HIV medications, how and when to initiate treatment and resistance tests as well as a variety of other treatment topics on this Web site and it's related links. Since you've just recently tested positive, I suggest you peruse the information in the "Just Diagnosed" section easily accessed on The Body's homepage under the Quick Links heading.

This forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not rendering medical, mental health, legal or other professional advice or services. If you have or suspect you may have a medical, mental health, legal or other problem that requires advice, consult your own caregiver, attorney or other qualified professional.

Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither TheBody.com nor any advertiser is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material.

The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 750 3rd Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.